The present invention relates to product design systems, and more specifically, but not exclusively, relates to a product design system that allows for product design over a network.
Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems are all used in a wide variety of areas such as engineering product design, and development. Although CAD and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) systems have reduced the amount of work required in product development and manufacturing, CAD/CAM systems, due to their complexity and cost, have created obstacles to rapid product development within companies. CAD/CAM systems in most companies are only used in isolated engineering/drafting departments. Even simple product designs require the assistance of the engineering/drafting department, because only the draftspersons and engineers within the department have the expertise to operate in complex CAD/CAM systems. The resources of an engineering/drafting department can be limited, and this in turn limits access to the CAD/CAM systems. This limited access can create a bottleneck in the product development cycle. Further adding complication to the design process is the increased popularity of the internet. The internet has increased the pressure on organizations to reduce product development time. Further, the internet has increased the demand for personalized product design.
Thus, needs remain for further contributions in this area of technology.